Ingredients

Method

Heat the oven to 140°C (gas mark 1). Line two baking sheets
with non-stick baking paper or lightly brush each sheet with a
little olive oil.

Rinse and dry the tomatoes. Cut each tomato in half lengthways
(or quarter if very large) and place - cut side up - on the
prepared over trays.

Lightly drizzle the tomatoes halves with olive oil, then
sprinkle evenly with thyme, a scant sprinkle of sugar and some salt
and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast for 2-2½ hours, or until the tomatoes are lightly dried
and darkened. The tomatoes should have shrunk to about half/a third
of their original size and should not be wet. Remove from the oven
when done and set aside to cool.

Once the tomatoes have cooled to room temperature, you can cook
with them immediately (or freeze in small batches). They can also
be layered in a sterilized glass jar adding a couple of garlic
cloves and a few leaves of thyme, and then covered with olive oil.
Seal the jar and shake gently to dislodge any air bubbles and store
them in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Top tips

Tip

The better the tomatoes, the better the finished product; beg,
borrow or steal home grown tomatoes if possible. Plum tomatoes are
better for cooking as they have less moisture - if you can't find
plum tomatoes, use vine-ripened tomatoes. Small plum tomatoes also
work well; these may take a little less time to cook. Keep an eye
on them.

Tip

Choose from rosemary, thyme, basil or chives herbs - depending
on what you have available. All work really well.